Hydraulic turbine



E. GROSS HYDRAULIC TURBINE Sept. 17, 1929.

Filed July 10. 1926 Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMIL GROSS, F WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO ALLIS-CHALMERS MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE HYDRAULIC TURBINE Application filed July 10,

This invention relates in general to improvements in hydraulic machines, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of guide vane actuating mechanisms for hydraulic turbines or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide new and useful improvements in the construction and operation of guide vane actuating mechanisms for hydraulic turbines or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient mechanism for preventing serious damage to the inlet guide vanes of a turbine in case one or more of the guide vanes has its normal movement obstructed. A further object of the invention is to provide means for enabling stopping of a hydraulic turbine in case the closing movement of one or more of the guide vanes is abnormally prevented. Still another object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for limiting the movement of the flow controlling guide vanes of a hydraulic turbine or the like in case a portion of the vane actuating mechanism becomes detached or broken.

Aclear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the operation of mechanisms constructed in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. l is a fragmentary central vertical section through the guide vane actuating mechanism of a Francis type hydraulic turbine.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top view of a portion of the guide vane actuating mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the guide vane actuating links showing the mode of attachment thereof to the guide vane actuating arm and ring.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged central vertical section through one of the improved break or shear pins.

The Francis type hydraulic turbine to which the invention has been specificallyapplied herein by way of illustration, comprises in general a bladed rotor 2, a fluid supply conduit 4, and an annular series of pivot- 1926. Serial No. 121,727.

ally supported adjustable inlet guide vanes 3 for conducting fluid from the supply conduit 4 to the rotor 2. The rotor 2 is housed within a casing comprising a top cover 5 in which the guide vanes 3 are pivotally supported. Each of the guide vanes 3 has a'pivot 6 journaled in the cover 5 and provided at its upper extremity with an inwardly extending bifurcatedactuating arm 7. An actuating ring 10 is journaled upon the turbine casing concentric of the axis of the rotor 2 and has two superimposed annular series of outwardly projecting lugs 16 disposed between the successive inner ends ofthe actuating arms 7 of the guide vanes 3. Links 8 are pivotally attached to the lugs 16 of the actuating ring 10 by means of vertically removable pins 11. The links 8 extend between the ends of the bifurcations of the adj acent actuating arms 7, and are pivotally attached to: these arms by means of break or shear pins 9. The pins 9 have upper enlarged portions 12 journaled' in the upper bifurcations of the arms 7, and have lower portions 15 of reduced diameter journaled in the lower bifurcations of these arms. The medial portions 14: of the pins 9 are connected to the upper and lower portions 12, 15 by means of portions 13 of greatly reduced diameter; The center of each pin may be bored as indicated in Fig. 4 in order to further reduce and weaken the crosssectional area of the pin portions 13, and the pins 9 rest upon the upper surfaces of the links 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

During normal operation of the turbine, the fluid under pressure is admitted inwardly to the rotor 2 from the supply conduit 4 past the adjustable inlet guide vanes 3 and is eventually discharged from the rotor 2 axially to a draft tube, in a well known manner. 99 The guide vanes 3 may be simultaneously adjusted about their pivotalaxes to vary the inlet opening or to entirely cut off the flow, by means of a servo-motor of usual construction cooperatingwith the revolvable adjusting ring 10. When the ring 10 is shifted about the rotor axis, motion is simultaneously transmitted to all of the guide vanes 3 through the pins 11, the links 8, the shear pins 9', the actuating arms 7 and. the pivots 10O 6, thereby causing the vanes 3 to swing to any desired position of adjustment.

In the event that either the opening or closing movement of one of the guide vanes 3 is abnormally obstructed as by a timber or a stone, the actuating pin 9 thereof will be sheared off or broken at the weakest sections or reduced portion 13 thereof, thereby permitting normal adjustment of the remaining vanes 3 of the series. When one of the pins 9 has been thus broken, the free swinging movement of the corresponding released guide vane 3 will be limited by virtue of the engagement between the adjacent outwardly projecting lugs 16 of the actuating ring 10 with the actuating arm of the disabled vane. This action is clearly indicated in Fig. 2 wherein the central vane has been released by breakage of its actuating pin 9. The swinging movement of the vane 3 upon release thereof by breakage of its actuating pin 9, in the opposite direction, is also limited by the lugs 16 at the opposite side thereof, so that free swinging of the vanes 3 into the path of the runner vanes is positively prevented.

Upon breakage of one or more of the actuating pins 9, the broken pins may be readily replaced by removing the pin 11 of the corresponding link 8 and removing the broken ,pin portions in the'event that these do not drop freely from their sockets. When the broken pin portionsv have been removed, a new pin 9 may be readily dropped into place thereby again placing the disabled vane 3 in condition for normal operation. The pins 9, 11, the arms 7, and the links'8 are freely accessible from the exterior of the turbine casing and may be conveniently inspected or removed at any time without undesirably interfering with normal operation of the unit.

ating ring adjustable about the axis of said rotor to move said vane, a link pivotally associated with said ring, a pin having a weakened section subjected to shear; and connecting said link with said actuating arm, and an abutment on said ring formed to stop the movement of said vane by direct coaction with said arm when said p1n has been broken.

2. In combination, a rotor, an annular series of movable varies for directing fluid toward said rotor, an actuating arm secured to each of said vanes, an actuating ring ad- I no its 

